Life Study of Revelation message 20

Message Title: THE CRY OF THE MARTYRED SAINTS AND GOD’S ANSWER TO IT - SEALS FIVE AND SIX

in the last message it mentioned the first four seals, the four horses with their riders, which started at the time of the ascension of Christ, and will continue until the second coming of the Lord. 

here is the fifth seal, which is the cry of the martyrs throughout the ages. 

Revelation 6:9 And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had.

Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

Revelation 6:11 And to each of them was given a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until also the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed, even as they were, is completed.

all these martyrs were killed not because they did not something wrong, but because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. we should not have a concept that after we believe into the Lord, our way will be full of blue skies and flowers, with many blessings from the Lord. I always get reminded of hymn 720 "God has not promised skies always blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through." Rather, the Lord has already shown and warned us that we will face persecution and opposition. even when the Lord was here on the earth, He got rejected and mocked by people, even crucified by His own people. if the Lord has already faced that, why should we expect that our skies will be always blue? we need to be prepared for the coming sufferings or hardship, and we need to realize that the Lord has promised us that what we will face shall by no means surpass what the Lord did face. right now, the martyrs are waiting in the paradise, which is not the paradise in the heavens, but the paradise in the Hades, which is the comfort part for the saints to rest and wait until the time is fulfilled. on the night of the Lord's crucifixion, there were two robbers with Him. He said to one robber, that tonight you shall be with me in the paradise. that is also the place the Lord went for three days after His death. all the martyrs are right now waiting there, and they are praying, praying for the righteous judgement and avenger of the Master for them, on those evil and unrighteous people. 

and the sixth seal is the answer of God to the martyrs' cry in the fifth seal. the sixth seal marks the beginning of the great tribulation. And it is also the 

warning to all those who dwell on the earth. we will see later that no matter how much warning God gives to the inhabitants on earth, one sentence keeps repeating, they still blasphemed God and did not repent. God's heart in sending these supernatural calamities is to warn people to repent. but if the heart is hardened, they would not repent. may our heart not be hardened, but be kept soft and open toward God.